The Devil's in the Details
by holyllama
Summary: Before Ryo Bakura knew about the spirit of the Millenium Ring, the spirit used its powers to seal the souls of Ryo's gaming friends into Monster World miniatures. It's easy to say that they all woke up about as good as new when the spirit was defeated.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer:_ I do not now nor have I ever owned any of the characters of _Yu-Gi-Oh_. I'm just borrowing them from the genius mind of Kazuki Takahashi. (Short version: I don't own them so please don't sue!)

**Chapter 1**

Yuki tugged slightly at the short blue skirt that was standard Domino High uniform fare. Why in God's name the administration had chosen something like this pink and blue abomination for the uniform was beyond her. Not even most self-respecting American schools would have let their students wear this! Well, not any that actually cared to enforce the dress code at least. Either way, the length of the skirt was almost obscene.

But that was beside the point, wasn't it? She shifted her weight slightly in what some might have taken for nerves. The teacher did.

"Nervous? I'm sure you'll fit in very well here." He certainly didn't waste any time in turning his back on her and leading the charge into the classroom.

She smirked inwardly at the image of this almost mousy man leading a cavalry charge but followed him in nonetheless. The room seemed to fall silent as they entered, save for the quick scratch of chalk as the teacher wrote Yuki's name on the blackboard.

"Attention, everyone. We have another new student joining our class today," the teacher said.

Yuki knew a cue when she saw one, and the way that the teacher had stepped back slightly and was looking at her now was definitely a cue if ever there was one. So she smiled cutely and bowed slightly. "Hello, my name's Kobayashi Yuki."

_llamallamallamallamallama_

Ryo swore that his face must have gone through three different shades of white when Yuki stepped through the door. He'd heard that his old gaming buddies, most of whom he was sure wouldn't give him the time of day now, had recovered a few days after the Monster World fiasco. But to hear that they were all right through third party sources was one thing. To actually see one of them…it made him nervous.

"Let's see, now where should we have you sit?" Ryo looked up at the front from under the cover of his bangs, watching their teacher surveying the room for empty desks. "Ah, next to Mazaki is open."

Ryo knew what Anzu's reaction would most likely be, even as Yuki made her way towards her seat. It would most likely be the same as Jonouchi's reaction to Ryo when he himself had started at Domino High School, a warm greeting and an almost instant offer of friendship. And from what he remembered about Yuki, a pretty girl whom some of the more callous popular girls at their last school had ridiculed for her American features and tomboyish qualities, she would be as willing to accept that offer as he had been.

It was the soft rustle of paper sliding across his desk that pulled Ryo out of his thoughts. Jonouchi must have noticed his distraction, because Ryo could have sworn that he saw Jonouchi's hand quickly darting back to his own desk after he sent Ryo a significant glance and a nod towards the notebook paper folded in quarters on his desk.

Of course Ryo read it, unfolding it under his desk and spreading it underneath the covers of his notebook to avoid detection.

_What's up?_

Ryo let a wry smile flicker across his features as he looked at his friend's messy writing. It had to be that question, didn't it? The one he really wasn't sure he wanted to answer until he figured out whether or not Yuki wanted anything to do with him now. He glanced over at Jonouchi and somehow wasn't surprised when he caught his sandy-haired classmate returning his gaze with an almost appraising look. So he decided to stall as best he could, mouthing the word "later" when their teacher's back was turned.

Jonouchi seemed satisfied for the moment, even though he still looked like he wanted to pin Ryo under a spotlight and interrogate him to death like they did in the old American police dramas. The image came to Ryo unbidden; he in a grey business suit sitting underneath an old pendant light fixture, Jonouchi and Honda badgering him with hundreds of questions while wearing dressed in slacks and pinstriped shirts with rolled up sleeves along with policeman's badges and bad New York accents, Yugi and Anzu dressed in film noir chic standing in the background and taking notes and nodding at intervals. It was almost enough to make him laugh out loud, considering that he had to bite down on the side of his tongue to keep a round of giggles from escaping. He'd have enough attention drawn to him later. Better to avoid disrupting class and catching it from the teacher too.

_llamallamallamallamallama_

When the bell for the lunch break sounded, Yuki wasn't surprised to see most of the class dashing out in a veritable flood of humanity.

"C'mon Yuki, I'll introduce you to my friends," Anzu said. Yuki liked her. She had greeted the transfer with a warm smile and an offer to show her around the school later, an offer that Yuki had gladly accepted. The advance warning about Jonouchi, Honda, and something called the "panty tank" had been welcomed as well. "Guys, where are you-?"

"Bathroom!" the boy Anzu had pointed out as Jonouchi Katsuya called from the door as he and Honda, Yuki believed the other boy's name was, practically dragged Bakura and another smaller boy out of the classroom.

That had Yuki giggling slightly. "Ano, Anzu-chan? Isn't it girls that are supposed to flock to the bathroom in groups? Or is it just Japanese boys that do that?"

Anzu smiled at the joke. "Just those four, Yuki-chan. So you said you've been in America for the past few months?"

_llamallamallamallamallama_

"All right, Ryo, why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

"It's nothing, Jonouchi…"

"Bullshit. You went as white as a sheet when Kobayashi came in!"

Ryo sighed and seemed to slump slightly, practically pinned against one of the walls in the boys' bathroom by the curious and concerned gazes of Honda, Jonouchi, and Yugi. "It's just that… Do you remember when I told you about my old gaming friends losing consciousness and going into comas when they played with me?"

"Because of the Spirit of the Ring sealing them into those lead figures, right?" Honda said.

"Kobayashi-san was one of your old gaming friends, wasn't she?"

Ryo nodded, completely unsurprised that it had been Yugi who'd picked up on it first. Yugi had almost always been the most perceptive among them; though whether that was through his own personality or something attained under his yami's influence Ryo still wasn't sure. "Hai, she was."

"You haven't talked to any of your old gaming buddies since…that stuff happened, have you?"

"Not in so many words, no."

"It wasn't your fault that the psycho spirit did that! Just go talk to her."

"You three aren't going to let me be until I do, will you?" Ryo said with a chuckle as he looked around at his friends. "All right, I will."

"That's the spirit!" Jonouchi said with a broad grin. "Now let's get back and find Anzu before she comes looking for us."

"I don't think that Anzu would come in the boys' bathroom…"

Now Ryo's face split in a broad grin. "I seem to recall Yuki doing that once or twice, though."

_llamallamallamallamallama_

"What took you guys so long? We were starting to think you fell in."

"Guy stuff," Jonouchi said as he and the other four plopped down in or stood by the desks near the ones that Anzu and Yuki were seated at.

Anzu just rolled her eyes. "Right. Yuki-chan, these are my friends. This is Jonouchi, Honda, Yugi, and Bakura."

"It's nice to meet you all," Yuki replied to the small chorus of greetings with another cute smile. "Bakura-kun and I actually know each other already."

"Kobayashi-san and I used to game together before…"

It took half a moment, but Yuki caught sight of Anzu's expression suddenly changing into one of understanding. More to the point, it seemed that all five of her new acquaintances were casting cautious looks at her, almost as though they were curious as to what she'd do but were to afraid to ask. "That was a while ago. I'm back to a hundred percent now, good as new! Well, just about good as new at least."

"You're not angry with me about that, are you?" Ryo asked nervously.

"As far as I know there's no reason I should be. The doctors think I had a delayed reaction to something that had peanuts or peanut oil in it."

"Are you allergic, Kobayashi-san?" Yugi said, shooting a brief glance at Bakura for some reason. Ah well, it wasn't important.

"I'm severely allergic. The doctors actually said that if it wasn't for Bakura-kun calling the hospital I might have died that day." She smiled up at Bakura, a warm smile that she hoped would convey her gratitude and her hope of a continued friendship with him. "So no, I'm not upset. As a matter of fact, my family and I are exceedingly grateful."

It was Honda who broke the slightly awkward silence after a moment. "So how'd you end up in Domino?"

"You know, Anzu and I were just talking about that..."


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer:_ The characters of _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ do not belong to me. They are the creation of Kazuki Takahashi, and I (dirt poor soul that I am) am merely borrowing them for the use of this story.

_Warnings:_ Some use of "four letter words", later some scenes of violence and dark occultism. Turn back now if any of these make you uncomfortable.

**Chapter 2**

"You know, Anzu, you really didn't have to walk me home."

"It's no big deal. Your place is on my way anyhow."

"Really? I didn't know you lived down this way."

"I don't, actually. I'm heading over to Yugi's. His grandpa owns the Kame game shop, you know."

"I might have to join you some time." She stopped for a second, taking an opportunity to stretch her back out and enjoy the satisfying crack of her spine shifting back into place. "Ugh, is cleanup always that tedious?"

"Pretty much. Unfortunately, it doesn't get any better."

Yuki laughed at that. "Honestly, that's one thing I miss about my school in the States. No cleaning duty."

"That must have been nice," Anzu replied with a laugh of her own.

"It was." Yuki looked over at the surrounding apartment buildings. "Ah, there it is."

Anzu nodded. "Okay. So I'll see you tomorrow?"

Yuki would have nodded and been on her way, but a familiar voice from the front of her building caught her attention.

"Kobayashi!"

Her head whipped around quickly, and she couldn't help the friendly smile that blossomed across her face when she saw another of her old friends walking towards them. "Suzuki-senpai! How've you been?"

"Not too badly, Kobayashi. And yourself? Your mother said you started at Domino High this morning."

"Hai, I did. Actually, I'd like you to meet one of my friends from my class. This is Mazaki-san."

Anzu bowed reflexively. "It's nice to meet you, Suzuki-senpai. Did you and Kobayashi-chan and Bakura-kun all know each other at your last school?"

It was odd, Yuki noted, how dark Suzuki-senpai's expression became at the mention of Ryo's name. "Tch. I tolerated Bakura before he put Kobayashi into that coma. To think he'd do that to one of his friends."

Yuki stiffened imperceptibly at that. "Now Suzuki-senpai…"

"Kobayashi-chan told us that it was a delayed allergic reaction, Suzuki-senpai." Yuki could clearly see Anzu's hackles rising at the attack on their friend. She was definitely loyal; Yuki would have given her that even if Anzu wasn't so likeable.

"Kobayashi isn't seeing it clearly. It was Bakura's fault, not some piece of peanut slipped into her miso."

And now Yuki's hackles were rising slightly. If there was one thing that she hated, before or after her time in the hospital, it was being talked about like she wasn't there. "Ne, Suzuki-senpai, what are you doing in Domino City? I didn't hear that you'd transferred here."

"I'm visiting family during my break. The school's given us the week off for an in-service period."

"I see…"

"Why don't you and I go get something to eat and we can catch up on old times, Kobayashi? We've missed you, you know."

_Shit. Shit shit shit!_ If there was one thing that Yuki definitely did not want to do it was to go anywhere alone with Suzuki-senpai. He was an old friend, true, but there was something that tugged at her gut. Call it women's intuition, limited ESP, whatever. Regardless, there was something that was telling Yuki that it was not a good idea to be alone with the older teen and she was damn well going to listen! The problem was how to go about it politely. "Well you see, Suzuki-senpai…that is, ah…" She turned back to Anzu slightly with a smile of mute appeal and sending a silent thanks to anyone listening that the other girl hadn't left.

"Don't forget, Kobayashi-chan, we're supposed to be meeting Yugi, Honda, and Jonouchi at the shop in fifteen minutes so we can get to the movie on time!" Anzu quickly said. "And who knows how long we'll be. Come to think of it, maybe we should be going?"

Now Yuki's smile was one of pure gratitude. "That's right! Thanks for reminding me, Mazaki-chan." She turned back to her senpai with an affected apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Suzuki-senpai, but I'll have to take a rain check on that. It was good to see you again. Ja ne!"

Yuki and Anzu would have power-walked out of there the second those two little syllables were out of her mouth, except for the pasty hand that clamped down on Yuki's wrist in a grip as tight as a vise. "Now is that any way to treat your senpai?" Suzuki clucked.

"Hey, let her go!"

"Suzuki-senpai, you're hurting me!"

Suzuki yanked Yuki closer to him. "You _will_ come with me, my dear. It's not up to you right now."

Then Yuki blacked out.

_llamallamallamallamallama_

Anzu was shocked beyond belief. The entire conversation was odd, but to see this scrawny little guy who looked like he could barely lift his book bag drag her new friend around like he was, much less grip down on Yuki's wrist hard enough to hurt her and possibly cause her to pass out? Something was definitely not right here. "Suzuki, let her go!"

"She is mine, Mazaki. You and your little friends can't have her. Besides, what are you going to do, scratch my eyes out?"

It was times like this that Anzu was glad she kept her cell phone in one of the side pockets of her backpack in easy reach. She pulled out the phone, brandishing it towards the psycho like a priest in one of those weird horror movies might brandish a cross against a creature of darkness. "I'll call the police!"

"As though they could stop me," Suzuki chuckled. It was a horrifying sound, worse than the spirit of the Millennium Ring's vindictive laughter. She doubted that the spirit could laugh any other way, but this definitely wasn't the time to think about that.

Suzuki's eyes met hers for a moment, and what Anzu saw there scared her more than the spirit of the Ring on its worst day. Suzuki's eyes seemed to glow with a dark fire despite the muddy and mottled swamp-water brown of the irises. It wasn't a good kind of glow, either. It seemed to her that there was an expression of hatred and malice within those eyes that seemed almost timeless. She'd seen something similar in the eyes of the spirit of the Ring, but, if Yami was right, it was a good 3,000 years worth. The depth of Suzuki's malice seemed to stretch back eons, maybe even back to the dawn of time.

But a movement from her friend made Anzu break away from that black gaze with an almost audible sigh of relief. "Yuki, I'll call the cops, don't worry!"

It was Yuki that answered, but there was something off. "There will be no need for that, Anzu." Her voice was quiet, but it seemed…surer, more imposing. Almost regal. It wasn't Yuki's cheery voice, even though this stranger sounded almost identical.

Her tone was so commanding that Anzu found herself slipping her cell phone back into her bag. "Yuki?"

"You will release me." Yuki's voice was still that commanding roll of thunder, but Suzuki didn't let go. Not at first. "Suzuki. You _will_ let go." She turned her head so that she and Suzuki had eye contact and uttered the final word. "_Now_."

The same force that had made Anzu put her cell phone away seemed to work on Suzuki, uncurling his hand from Yuki's wrist one finger at a time. When Yuki pulled her wrist away and calmly stepped back towards Anzu, Suzuki's mouth seemed to unseal itself. "This isn't over. You are mine!" Then he turned and ran off into the alleyways, disappearing from view.

"Yuki-chan? Are you all right?"

"I'm all right." Somehow Anzu doubted that, but with Yuki's back turned to her, she couldn't be sure. "If you'll excuse me, I'm not feeling well. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I hope you feel better."

"Thank you, Anzu. I'm sure I'll be as good as new tomorrow morning." Yuki turned back and gave her friend a half-smile that didn't reach her eyes before turning back and entering the apartment building, tossing a wave over her shoulder. "Mata ne."

Anzu stood for a moment, still trying to digest everything that had happened. Of course, she jumped a mile when her phone rang. Then she came to her senses and fumbled through her bag for it, somehow glad to see the number for the game shop flashing across the small screen. "Moshi moshi?"

"Anzu?" Yugi's voice replied. "Honda and I were just starting to wonder where you were. We were going walk together to meet Jonouchi and Shizuka at the movie theater, remember?"

"Oh, right! I'm on my way now; I just left Yuki at her place. Hey, why is Honda at the shop?"

"Something about Jonouchi threatening to kill him if he started in on his sister. You know how Honda and Jonouchi can get when Shizuka-chan's involved."

"Right."

"Are you all right, Anzu? You sound kind of out of it."

"Yeah…the strangest thing just happened…"

_llamallamallamallamallama_

"Someone tried to grab Kobayashi? You're kidding, right?"

"That's what Anzu said," Yugi said as he hung up the shop's phone. "Ano, Honda? You and Ryo are pretty close, right?"

Honda shrugged. "I guess. Why?"

"Has he ever mentioned anyone named Suzuki?"

"I don't think so. Damn, someone trying to kidnap Kobayashi… Is Anzu okay?"

"She's a bit shaken up, but she said she's okay. It sounded like Yuki-chan was a bit worse for the wear."

"Can't blame her."

"I suppose not," Yugi mused. "I'd probably be out of my mind if that happened to me."

"If weird stuff didn't happen to you so regularly, you mean."

"Well, that too…" _/I wonder what this Suzuki person wanted with Yuki./_

_/Somehow I doubt that it was anything good, Yugi. What puzzles me is what Anzu described when Ryo's old friend regained consciousness./_

_/The eye color./_

_/There aren't that many people who have silver eyes without contact lenses./_

_/Silver? That's not right…/_ "Hey Honda? What color are Yuki-chan's eyes?"

"I think they're hazel. Why?"

"I think things are going to get even weirder around here."

_llamallamallamallamallama_

Ja ne - Roughly equivalent to the English "See you later".

Mata ne - See Ja ne.

Moshi moshi - A common expression used when answering the telephone. I've been taught that there's not a direct translation for the phrase in English, but the Japanese-English dictionary at my disposal translates it as "Hello".

Senpa_i_ - One's senior at school or work. The term is often converted into a suffix, like "-chan" or "-san".

/…/ - Yugi to Yami Yugi

/…/ - Yami Yugi to Yugi


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer:_ As previously stated in the last two chapters, I do not own _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ or any of the characters contained therein. They belong to Kazuki Takahashi.

_Warnings:_ Some use of "four letter words", later some scenes of violence and dark occultism. Turn back now if either of these makes you uncomfortable.

**Chapter 3**

"So you don't remember anything that happened last night?"

Yuki thought for a moment, her brow furrowed in lines of deep concentration before she slowly shook her head. "No, not after I passed out. It's kind of normal for me now, I guess."

"Yuki-chan, how is that normal? Have you seen a doctor about that?"

"Calm down, Anzu. I know you're worried about me and I appreciate it, really I do, but this isn't the first time it happened. Actually, it's been a more or less regular occurrence since I came out of that coma. The doctors said it was a 'fugue' state."

"Fugue…oh, I think I read something about that once!" Anzu said, barely even registering that the girls were walking past the worried glances of Jonouchi, Honda, and Yugi and waving absently to them. "Isn't that the technical term for it? Temporary amnesia brought on by stress?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Then what Anzu told us about must've been more than enough to bring that on," Jonouchi said as he, Yugi, and Honda leaned up against Anzu and Yuki's desks wearing the most serious expressions that Yuki had seen from them. Granted, this was only her second day knowing them, but the grim expressions just didn't seem to fit. "You okay, Kobayashi?"

"I'm fine, guys. Thanks, though."

"You just let us know if this guy keeps bugging you," Honda added. "Jonouchi and I'll straighten him out." There was a small chorus of cracking knuckles, and Yuki was hard-pressed not to laugh.

"Guys, I'll be fine. He just caught me off guard yesterday, that's all. It won't happen again." The other four exchanged uncertain and slightly worried looks between each other, but they let it drop. _Wait a minute, only four?_ "Does anyone know where Ryo-kun is?"

Ryo felt like shit. Scratch that, he felt like something that the proverbial cat had chewed up, spit out, and _then_ dragged back in.

First, it had been coming home the previous night to find that the spirit of the Millennium Ring was back and as much of a pain in Ryo's ass as ever. Hearing his "shakuchi-nin" talk about getting reacquainted with Yuki was truly creepy, even if Ryo hadn't been fairly sure that the spirit wasn't interested enough in his friend to carry through with the idea. She didn't have any of the seven Millennium Items, so therefore she was safe. He hoped.

Then there was the almost complete lack of sleep that night. His shakuchi-nin had completely denied that he was responsible for the truly horrifying nightmares that had plagued the scant hour that Ryo had been able to sleep, and something in Ryo's gut didn't doubt that the spirit was telling the truth about that. Taking over his body at inopportune times and getting into fights with the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle was the tomb robber's style; sabotaging Ryo's sleep wasn't.

To top it all off, he had woken with a headache the size of Mount Fuji. The aspirin weren't helping, and neither was the fact that he was going to be late to school. Needless to say, Ryo Bakura was not the happiest of campers when he finally arrived at class.

He mumbled his apologies to the teacher and slunk over to his seat, smiling weakly at his friends' concerned gazes. The aspirin he had taken still hadn't kicked in, and he wasn't looking forward to the barrage of questions about his health or his shakuchi-nin that would probably come around either recess or lunch break. So, with a soft sigh of reluctance, Ryo resigned himself to taking notes and at least attempting to pay attention.

Ryo did not look well. That was the first impression, probably a correct one, that crossed Yugi's mind when his white-haired friend had stumbled into class about half an hour late. Ryo had never been late in Yugi's memory. Really, he was either at school or he wasn't. It was just…it wasn't right for Ryo to be late.

_/I don't want to alarm you, but do you feel like we're being watched/_

_/Oddly enough, that's not quite as scary as it should be./_ Yugi inwardly smirked at the silent testament to how strange life after the Puzzle had gotten, surreptitiously looking around to see if the source of his yami's discomfort was in the room. He probably wouldn't have noticed Yuki, if it weren't for the fact that her starlight-silver eyes locked with his for a second before sliding away to fix what seemed like an icy glare at Ryo's back. _/That's what Anzu was talking about./_

_/I thought you said that your acquaintance held no hard feelings about having her soul sealed by the spirit of the Ring/_

_/I'm also really sure her eyes were hazel when class started./_

_/Perhaps she wasn't being entirely truthful with you yesterday. There's more going on here than meets the eye, Yugi./_

He turned again, looking to Yuki's face to check her eyes. His acquaintance's face was turned towards the front of the room, almost eager in her note-taking. She seemed to sense that he was watching her, sending him a bright smile that reached her hazel eyes. Yugi flushed slightly and turned back to his own work, wondering about what he had seen.

"Geez, Ryo, you look like somethin' the cat dragged in."

How nice it would have been to just be able to start banging his head against the desk right now. Instead of following that inclination, Ryo just rubbed at his eyes. "Then apparently I look as awful as I feel, Honda."

"Is it…?"

"No, it isn't. It's not his style in any event. At least not from what you all have told me."

"What's not whose style?" Yuki asked as she entered the conversation. She held up two small bottles of water in response to the unasked question that Ryo was sure was blatant in his eyes, placing one on the desk in front of him with a small smile. "You sure you shouldn't be sleeping this bug off, Ryo-kun?"

"I don't feel _that_ horrible, Yuki-chan. Thank you for your concern all the same."

She just shrugged. "If you say so."

"Ne, Yuki-chan, did you tell Ryo yet?"

"Tell me what?"

Yuki sighed heavily, looking over at Anzu for a second for some reason. "Well, that is…"

"You knew a Suzuki-senpai at your old school, right Ryo?" Anzu took over for Yuki.

Ryo couldn't help wincing slightly at remembered slights. "If the Suzuki-senpai we're thinking of is the same, then yes. May I ask why?"

Yuki spoke this time, absently massaging her right wrist. "Suzuki-senpai is in Domino. Anzu-chan and I ran into him yesterday when we walked over to my apartment building. He was acting really strangely, almost like he was an entirely different person."

"How so?"

Anzu reached over and plucked Yuki's left hand from her wrist, "accidentally" pushing the material of the pink jacket sleeve up just enough to reveal bruises that seemed to distinctly resemble human fingers. "Really, Yuki-chan, you shouldn't mess with those. They won't heal as quickly if you do."

"Gomen, Anzu-chan," Yuki replied, coloring slightly. "I didn't realize I was doing it."

"Suzuki-senpai did that? Why?"

"I don't know, Ryo-kun. He wanted to take me out to get something to eat and catch up on old times, I politely declined, and then he grabs my wrist in a vise grip and tells me I'm not going anywhere before I blacked out. It was so strange; Suzuki-senpai isn't normally like that as far as I remember. He was always so nice…"

"He did have something of a crush on you, Yuki-chan."

"He what?"

"Had a crush on you. I think you were the only one who didn't know."

"Come to think of it, he did tell me that you were his and that we couldn't have you, Yuki. It was really scary."

"That's not a crush, that's a stalker." Honda looked between the other three boys for a second, his attention focusing back on Ryo again. "This guy ever seem that type to you, Ryo? He probably wasn't on his best behavior all the time around you like he would've been around Yuki."

"Well, he did lead the crusade when it came to the opinion that I was the one who had put Yuki into her…condition at the time. I wasn't aware that he was that unbalanced, though. I do have to agree with Yuki, it doesn't seem like him. He was always a very controlled individual."

"But what's done is done and now you know he's in town so we can move off of this topic." Yuki clapped her hands together, almost as though she were closing a book in Ryo's mind. "So, Yugi, Anzu was telling me your family owns a game shop?"

There weren't many things that could shock Yuki Kobayashi very easily. Seeing Suzuki-senpai just outside the gates of Domino High School with his shoulders slumped and a hangdog expression on his face was one of the few things that could that day.

"Oi, Kobayashi, you gonna be okay?" She had to stifle a laugh again at Honda and Jonouchi, both of whom were looking over towards the individual that she'd been inadvertently staring at for the past moment or two. "That's Suzuki, right?"

"Yeah, but something tells me I'll be fine. It's a public place, right?"

"So was the street outside your place," Honda said with a wry smirk. "Hey, Jonouchi, why don't we wait for her a second? Just make sure he doesn't try anything with her again."

"Sounds like a good idea."

Yuki just rolled her eyes heavenward with a small smile and an expression of mock pleading on her face. "So now I've got a pair of bodyguards, is that it?"

"Hey, a buddy of Ryo's is a buddy of ours. Go ahead and get what you need to done."

"Like I need your permission." She was fully aware of their watchful eyes on her as she walked over to Suzuki, glad for it even though her gut told her that this wouldn't be a repeat of yesterday. "Suzuki-senpai."

"Ah, Kobayashi-san…" he scuffed a toe into the pavement, an oddly child-like motion for the young man who had to be at least a full six inches taller than she. "Ano, Kobayashi-san…I'd like to apologize for what happened yesterday. I haven't been…myself, and I'm afraid that I may have done something unforgivable to you yesterday. Please, accept this unworthy one's apology."

"So that's why you're really here, then?"

"Hai. My aunt suggested that I come and live with her for a while during my treatment. I just came into town yesterday."

"I kind of figured that." Yuki sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair in a gesture that was characteristic to anyone who knew her. "You know, I never could stay upset with any of you."

"You mean…?"

"Apology accepted, Suzuki-senpai. Please understand, though, that I won't exactly be inclined to be alone with you until your treatment is finished."

"I understand completely," Suzuki said with a bright smile that seemed to light up his entire face. "Thank you, Kobayashi. I'd ask if you and a friend or two or five wanted to go and hang out, but I must be going. I've got a session starting in about ten minutes and I really don't want to be late."

"It's all right, Suzuki-senpai. I hope your session goes well."

"Aa, thank you. Ja ne."

"Mata ne." She waved as he started off, turning a smile of reassurance back to Jonouchi and Honda as they approached. Apologies were good, reasons were even better, and life now definitely seemed to be pretty close to the best. Just the way she liked it.

_Gomen_ - Short form of "Gomen nasai". "I'm sorry" in English.

_Ja ne_ - Roughly equivalent to the English "See you later".

_Mata ne_ - See _Ja ne_.

_Senpai_ - One's senior at school or work. The term is often converted into a suffix, like "-chan" or "-san".

_Shakuchi-nin_: Tenant. The spirit of the Ring refers to Ryo in the manga as his "landlord", so it seems only logical (in my twisted mind at least) that Ryo might begin to think of the spirit as a somewhat unwanted tenant.

… - Yugi to Yami no Yugi

… - Yami no Yugi to Yugi

_Author's Notes:_

Sorry it took so long to update! I was having a real devil of a time (no pun intended) coaxing this chapter out to the front without the latest issue of the manga, not to mention that real life hit in the form of more hours at work than I really care for. But it's all about the paycheck, right? And I digress.

Reviews and _constructive_ criticism are welcomed and appreciated but not necessary for the continuation of this story. I write for my own enjoyment, not (necessarily) anyone else's.

However, if I've gotten something wrong, if a character seems particularly OOC, if there are any stupid little spelling or grammar errors that Works/Word and my eyesight haven't caught in proofreading, please _please_ let me know and let me know what's wrong and/or why. This is my first fic (as I'm sure is fairly apparent), so almost any form of feedback is appreciated. Flames and "You suck" reviews will be copied, posted, and lampooned in this section in later chapters.

Arigato gozaimasu, minna!

Holyllama


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own any of the _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ characters, they're all Kazuki Takahashi's. I'm just a poor student with delusions of grandeur.

_Warnings:_ Some use of "four letter words", later some scenes of violence and dark occultism. Turn back now if either of these makes you uncomfortable.

**Chapter 4**

It hadn't been a simple bug. If it had been, it would've gone away days ago. Ryo swore up, down, and sideways that it was just a simple bug, that he was still well enough to come to school even though Yugi was sure that Ryo was worse than he'd let on considering the way that the white-haired boy tended to shiver and shake in class sometimes.

Yami was starting to get suspicious or full out paranoid when it came to Yuki; Yugi still wasn't sure which. For his part, the "lighter" half of that equation didn't quite know what to think. In the days that had passed since Ryo first came in looking like something the cat dragged in, Yugi had seen Yuki as a solicitous friend who inquired after Ryo's health, not to mention making sure he drank plenty of fluids and even going so far as to risk catching whatever Ryo had to hang out with him or walk him back to his place on her way home. By the same token, he'd looked over more than once at Yuki after feeling a cold shiver up his spine to see her sending that same piercing glare at Ryo when she was sure that her "friend" wasn't looking.

_/I wonder, is it possible that she did something to make Ryo ill/_

_/Yami, I really don't think that she's that kind of person./_

_/You're much too trusting, Yugi. How much do we actually know about her/_

Even if the conversation was in his head, Yugi couldn't help sighing and rolling his eyes slightly. _/We don't know that much, other than that she used to go to Ryo's old school and gamed with him before the spirit of the Ring sealed her into one of those Monster World figurines. But Yami, I really don't think she could do that./_

_/Perhaps it's possible that there's some form of sorcery involved, perhaps a curse she placed upon Ryo./_

_/…Now you're just being paranoid./_

_/Yugi, all I ask is that you watch her closely. She has something to do with this, I'm sure of it. Wouldn't Ryo have been well by now if it were just a simple illness/_

_/Well… All right, I'll keep an eye on her. I still don't think she's responsible for this, though./_

"-gi? Hey, Yugi!" The smaller teen had to almost physically bite back a squawk of surprise when he finally saw and heard Jonouchi, forgoing to halt the physical response that resulted in him not-so-gracefully jumping out of his chair and falling flat on his rear.

"Itai…"

"Wow, Yugi, when you zone out you _really_ zone out," Yuki added. He could see that she was quite literally biting the inside of her cheek to keep the twitching half-smile on her face from probably erupting into laughter.

Yugi laughed nervously as he righted his chair and sat back down. "So what did I miss while I was zoned out?"

"We were just wondering where Ryo was. It's been a while since anyone's seen him."

"Weren't you the last one to see him, Yuki?" Anzu asked, looking quizzically over to the newest semi-member of their little group.

Yuki shrugged slightly. "He and I split up on the way back here from the cafeteria. I think he said he needed to use the little boys' room. I'm starting to wonder if he fell in, though."

Yugi's eyes widened slightly, the implications of Ryo's absence and the fact that, for whatever reason, Ryo still had the Ring in his possession hitting him swiftly. "Ano, Honda? Jonouchi? Maybe we ought to go look for him?"

They seemed to catch the hint, exchanging a brief look between themselves before they flashed patently false smiles over at Anzu and Yuki. "Good idea, Yugi. Anzu, maybe you and Kobayashi should hang out here just in case he comes back?"

"Yeah, good idea," she quickly replied after Yugi looked over at her with what he hoped was enough to convey his suspicions without words.

As Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda power-walked as nonchalantly as possible out of the room, it was all Yugi could do to hope that he was dead wrong.

When Jonouchi came bursting through the door just seconds before the end of the lunch period, Anzu knew something was wrong. Sure, Jonouchi was one of those people who could almost exude pure caffeinated energy, but outside of a duel or dealing with Kaiba it was almost never this…frazzled? Upset? Worried, maybe. She didn't know how to describe it, and at the moment she wasn't sure she wanted to think of the exact word.

"Sensei," he panted after casting a glance back towards the others, "Bakura collapsed. Ninomiya-sensei told me to come and tell you she called an ambulance for him."

There was a flurry of startled gasps, a few loudly whispered comments between the boys almost bragging that they _told_ their friend that there was something wrong with him. Something caused Anzu, after her own initial gasp of disbelief, to impulsively glance at Yuki from the corner of her eye, maybe just a desire to see how she was holding up. The shorter girl's hand was covering her mouth, a gesture than Anzu had started to associate with Yuki's periodic lapses into thought, and her eyes cast down. Worried hazel eyes glanced towards the front of the class a second later, hand still over her mouth. Unreadable starlight-silver eyes were there when Yuki moved the hand covering her mouth to trace some sort of odd design on her desk with her finger.

Maybe it was all the time spent with two beings that had the capability to summon Shadow Magic with a gesture. It could have just been a heightened sense of intuition from God only knew how many strange situations since Yugi had solved that puzzle. But when Anzu felt the cold shiver of _something_ down her spine, it was official. There was something more wrong with Yuki Kobayashi than just a fugue state, and whatever it was…it was starting to really freak Anzu out.

_Itai:_ Commonly used as "It hurts"/ "Ouch". I think the direct translation is "painful".

_/…/_ Yugi to Yami no Yugi

_/…/_ Yami no Yugi to Yugi

_Author's Notes_

Whew Another chapter done, even if it is a bit shorter than Chapter 3. Scratch that, a lot shorter than last chapter. But I think it's a good place to end the chapter, don't y'all? Okay, so I'm evil. I'll try and have Chapter 5 up quick as I can. It all depends on how much life, work, and the little llama-muse flitting around my head let me get down at a time.

As always, reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed but not necessary.

Arigato gozaimasu, minna!

Holyllama


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own _Yu-Gi-Oh! _or _Demon: the Fallen_. Those belong to Kazuki Takahashi and White Wolf respectively. I'm just making the little characters dance for my own amusement.

_Warnings:_ Some use of "four letter words", later some scenes of violence and dark occultism. Turn back now if either of these makes you uncomfortable.

**Chapter 5**

It was the next day before anyone could get in to see Ryo during general visiting hours. No one was quite sure of his condition, other than snippets of what Anzu, being one of the class representatives, had heard. Comatose, condition stable for now but ailment unknown.

Yami took "point" in his and Yugi's shared body when he, Anzu, and Jonouchi went to visit. Something, he couldn't quite tell what, was niggling at him when Anzu had suggested that the trio go and visit that day. Something just _off_ that set off his protective instincts regarding his lighter half and made him insist on controlling their body. That, and the fact that Yugi hated hospitals for some reason that not even Yami fully understood. "I just do" wasn't the most logical response in the world, after all.

"You okay, Yugi?" Anzu's quiet voice asked once the three were in the elevator, a slim hand settling on his shoulder for a second. She shrugged slightly when Yami looked up at her, turning her eyes to the front of the elevator with a muttered comment about knowing how much Yugi hated hospitals.

"We're fine, Anzu," Yami replied after a moment. "Thank you for your concern."

"Too bad Yuki couldn't come with," Jonouchi said.

"Why not?"

"Said she had something she needed to do."

"I can't help wondering, though…"

"Something about her doesn't feel right," Yami agreed with Anzu's unfinished thought. "Yugi's caught her sending a few looks at Ryo that could freeze the Sahara."

"Do you think she has a Millennium Item?"

"No. They're all more or less accounted for."

Jonouchi's brow furrowed in thought. "They are?"

"Well, if I remember right," Anzu mused as she ticked each off on a finger, "Yugi has the Puzzle, Ryo has the Ring although I don't know why he keeps it, Malik has the Rod, Ishizu has the Necklace, Shadi has the Scales and the Ankh, and Pegasus had the Eye."

"Which is still unaccounted for, but she hasn't replaced one of her own eyes with it," Yami agreed with a slight nod. "And that's all of the items that were ever created. To my knowledge, only the Rod, the Ring, and our Puzzle have had the effects that they have on their owners."

"Yeah, but Yuki's fugue states…" Anzu paused a moment, sighing slightly as she gathered her thoughts. "I don't think you've really seen one of Yuki's fugue periods, Yami. They're almost like you and Yugi before you two started communicating, or how Ryo and the spirit of the Ring work most of the time. She was an entirely different person in Yuki's body."

"One that doesn't seem to hold Ryo in very high regard."

"Whoa," Jonouchi said, "you can't be thinkin' that Yuki could've had something to do with Ryo getting sick?"

"Anzu's the only one who's had any sort of close quarters contact with Yuki's other half."

"I don't want to believe it either, Jonouchi, but there was just something…when Yami no Yuki told me to put my cell phone away or when she commanded Suzuki to let her go…I couldn't disobey. I don't know what it was, but I know that Suzuki probably wouldn't have let her go as quickly as he did if she hadn't told him to. Even then…it looked like someone took a crowbar and literally pried his fingers off of her wrist."

"Not to mention that she was the last to be seen with Ryo before he collapsed yesterday. Yugi would rather not consider the possibility that Ryo's illness is somehow her doing either, but it is awfully suspicious."

The elevator stopped with a slight ding to signal their arrival, almost thankfully halting the conversation in its tracks before anyone else could respond. "Room 370, right?" Jonouchi asked absently, skimming the signs as the trio exited.

"Yuki, what the hell are you doing?"

It was almost surreal, really. Anzu, Jonouchi, and Yami had walked to their friend's hospital room in a worried silence, Yami being a gentleman and holding the door open for Anzu to pass through first. She supposed her gasp of shock was what drew Jonouchi and Yami's attention to the bedside tableau which prompted Jonouchi's outburst.

She could see the side of Ryo's bed perfectly from where they had walked in. Ryo was still comatose, his almost white hair blending with the pillowcase and making him look more fragile than he probably was. Heck, he'd have to have some sort of tolerance for pain if he kept the Millennium Ring and its sadomasochistic prisoner around. But it was the sight of Yuki sitting so calmly on the bed, the tips of her toes barely brushing the floor when her legs swung back and forth slightly like a child dangling her feet in a swimming pool, with eyes fixed upon Ryo's face and a single hand around his throat. It was especially eerie, when she turned at Jonouchi's outburst. The expression on her face was one of curiosity, almost like she didn't understand why the boys were snatching her hand from Ryo's throat and almost forcibly plunking her into one of the plastic chairs out of reach of the bed. Silver eyes flicked over each of their faces in turn before the same cold veneer that Anzu had seen before settled over the Yuki-that-wasn't-Yuki. "May I ask what you think you're doing? And really, Jonouchi, such language."

"What _we're _doing? We weren't the ones trying to throttle Ryo!"

"I think you're exaggerating a bit."

"And just who are you to tell us that?" Yami growled, his voice sounding almost as cold as this pseudo-Yuki's and much less amused. "You're as much Kobayashi-san as Jonouchi is."

"Or as much as you are Yugi, little spirit."

The four were silent for a moment, Yami and Anzu and Jonouchi stunned into silence by the fact that she knew what none of them could have told her, what Ryo wouldn't have told her. When Anzu finally decided to break the silence, she couldn't stop herself from stuttering slightly. "H-how did you know that? No one mentioned it."

"No one needed to. I can feel the distortions in reality, I can see it in your friend's stance, I can almost smell it. But little spirit, how is it that you and your other half are not whole?"

"It's not your business. And I would much prefer that you cease calling me 'little spirit'. I have been around long enough to put your age to shame."

Yuki just looked up at Yami and smirked slightly, the look in her eyes one of a challenge that she knew she'd win. "I very much doubt that. But very well. If I cannot call you 'little spirit', then what would you prefer? Hoka no Yugi? Yuurei-san?"

"We call him Yami."

"Thank you, Anzu. The name fits you, Yami, even if it is a pseudonym. Very intelligent, that."

"Quit sidetracking!" Jonouchi growled. "Who the hell are you? What are you? And what've you done with Yuki?"

The affected expression of innocence on the pseudo-Yuki's face was enough to give Anzu cavities. "But Jonouchi, I am Yuki. She is as much a part of me as I am of her. But you wish another name to differentiate between us? As you wish." She inclined her head with a mocking smirk. "You may call me Maharet."

"You haven't answered Jonouchi's other question," Anzu said quietly. "What are you? You're not like Yami."

"Ah, human insight. Very clever of you, Anzu."

"Just answer the question."

"Are you sure you wish to know?" For a second Anzu was reminded of Pegasus, just the feeling of having your soul examined by a single creepy glance from a mildly amused eye…well, pair of eyes in this case. "Stubborn children," Maharet sighed a second later after her eyes had passed over each of them in turn. "Before the Fall I was one who charted the progress of the stars in their courses and oversaw fragments of the Grand Design. I am one of the Fallen who rebelled against the One on High."

"You're a…demon?"

_Hoka no Yugi:_ "The other Yugi"

_Yuurei-san:_ "Mr. Ghost". I know, I have a few screws loose. I just think I'm funny.

_Author's Notes_

This chapter actually came together quicker than I thought it might. I'll try to have Chapter 6 up pretty soon. If you'd like to get a better understanding of how Yuki and Maharet work, insert shameless self-promotion feel free to read _Snow and Starlight_.

As always, reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed but not absolutely necessary.

Arigato gozaimasu, minna!

Holyllama


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own any of the _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ characters, they're all Kazuki Takahashi's. Likewise, I don't own _Demon: the Fallen_. That's old-school White Wolf all the way. As I said earlier (or in _Snow and Starlight_), I just make the little characters dance for my own amusement. Watches llama-muse and Yuki fox-trot their way across the room

_Warnings:_ Some use of "four letter words", later some scenes of violence and dark occultism. Turn back now if either of these makes you uncomfortable.

**Chapter 6**

"You're a…demon?"

Maharet resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the statement-slash-question, mostly because of the remaining fragment of Yuki's soul figuratively smacking said urge into submission. Life would be so much easier once she was at her full strength again. "Yes, Jonouchi, I am. I prefer 'fallen angel' or 'Neberu', but 'Fiend' will do if it absolutely must."

"But you're not…"

"A frightening creature with horns, cloven hooves for feet, a barbed tail, red skin, and carrying a pitchfork?" She couldn't help the derisive snort that image prompted. "That is reserved for Halloween, priests who enjoy scaring their flocks with tales of fire and brimstone, and bad horror movies, thank you very much."

"The fact remains that you were strangling the life out of our friend," Yami said, his reddish-purple eyes seeming to grow even darker. Well, they probably would have if that was possible, and Maharet wasn't entirely sure that it was. But she was dealing with a spirit…

"So serious, little Yami. Even I smile more than you do."

"You're getting off the more important subject."

"What cause do I have to wish him harm? He has done nothing to me, and Yuki seems to like him."

"You're a freakin' demon!" Jonouchi sputtered. "Do you _need_ a reason? Maybe you just wanted his soul for an afternoon snack."

"I cannot believe that we are having this conversation." The fallen angel exhaled heavily, massaging her temples in an effort to ward off the headache that was probably looming just from the volume of Jonouchi's voice alone. "We do not eat souls. Well, there might be a few especially deranged individuals, but I can assure you that I am not one of them."

"Then what were you doing?"

"I was _trying_ to read the lines of convergence when you distracted me." The perfectly blank expressions that greeted that statement were almost enough to make Maharet indulge in one of those comic pratfalls that the characters in Yuki's stepbrother's favorite animes were wont to do; the ones that resulted from someone else's sheer stupidity or denseness. But Maharet was a dignified, elegant celestial being and that Just Wasn't Done. Not as of yet at any rate, even if she was pretty well stuck in a mortal body. "Lines of convergence. Where various ties of Fate intersect." She had to physically bite back a groan when Yami, Anzu, and Jonouchi just looked between each other and shrugged.

Then Yami turned a suspicious glare back at her. "You'll forgive me if I'm not exactly inclined to believe you, Maharet. As Jonouchi stated, you _are_ a demon."

_Why that pompous, puerile, patronizing little …!_ She stood and drew herself up to her full (somewhat unimposing) height, attempting to look down her nose at Yami with a haughty sniff. "Believe me or not, I would much rather unravel the mystery behind Ryo's sudden malady than otherwise and I don't have the time to waste in continuing this obviously pointless conversation. Good day." Maharet took a moment to take Ryo's limp hand in her own, squeezing it in a gesture of comfort that Yuki had definitely had to have prompted, then swept out of the room with only a slight incline of the head to Anzu and completely ignoring the presence of Jonouchi and Yami. _That should irk him_ _sufficiently._

"Yes?"

"Ano, is Yuki home, Kobayashi-san?"

"Who should I say is asking for her?" Kobayashi-san, a pretty woman in her mid- to late-thirties asked. Yugi was nervous, he'd admit it. Unlike Yuki's almost always open expressions, her mother was a closed book. Almost Kaiba-esque, heaven forbid.

"Yugi Moto. I'm a classmate of hers at Domino High School."

"Oh, so _you're_ the famous Duelist. Be warned, my son is a huge fan of anything and anyone Duel Monsters. Come on in, I'll let her know you're here."

The second that Yugi stepped into the small living room he was mobbed by a bright-eyed seven year old who had a passing family resemblance to Yuki. The kid, Satoru if Yugi remembered right, was cute in that sort of obnoxious hero-worshipping way that only grade schoolers could be, chirping on about how much he loved to watch the tournaments and how he hoped maybe one day he could be as good as Yugi. When Yugi expressed a passing interest in the photographs on the wall, mostly family shots, Satoru gleefully filled him in on who each person was and his opinions of them, right down to "Yuki's Uncle Dean who always looks like he just got outta bed."

"Satoru-kun? What's this one?" Yugi pointed out a simple black and white photograph on the mantle in which three middle-schoolers were grinning madly, looking like cats that ate the proverbial canary. "It looks like Ryo and Yuki?"

Satoru's face seemed to fall slightly when he looked up at it. "Hai, Moto-senpai. That's Bakura-senpai, Nee-chan, and Suzuki-senpai before Nee-chan went to the hospital. They used to be real good friends. Then Suzuki-senpai started getting all weird after Nee-chan went in her coma. He said that it was all Bakura-senpai's fault, but I don't believe him. Bakura-senpai was one of Nee-chan's best friends. He wouldn't do something like that to Nee-chan."

"I know he wouldn't, Satoru-kun."

"Y'know what I wish sometimes, Moto-senpai? I wish things could go back the way they were before. Bakura-senpai, Nee-chan, and Suzuki-senpai could be best friends again, Nee-chan wouldn't be so scary sometimes…sometimes when she's in one of her moods, she's kinda like a nice Naraku. Y'know, from _Inuyasha_? Me and Nee-chan used to watch it all the time before she went into the hospital, and she'd always look at me real serious whenever Kagome sat Inuyasha and she'd tell me that was why I had to be nice to girls."

"Because otherwise you'd get sat," Yuki said with a snicker. "I think Kaasan wants you in the other room, brat. Your turn in the bath, ya know." She just pointed out of the room when Satoru looked like he was going to start whining, and the kid definitely took his cue to scurry off under a parting hair-ruffle from his elder sister. "Sorry I took so long, Yugi; you caught me just as I was finishing my shower."

"It's no problem. But, um, isn't your hair normally straight?"

"What, this rat's nest?" she said, taking one of the wavy almost-ringlets between two fingers and tossing it back over her shoulder. "I wish. I got my dad's hair Haha says, so straight involves about half an hour, a lot of styling crap, and a hair dryer."

"Your father's…? But from the pictures Satoru showed me, your father's hair looks straight."

"That's Satoru's father, my stepfather. My birth father was American, US military stationed on Okinawa when he met my mom. Died in an accident during exercises when I was 6."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I barely knew him, and Chichi's been a good parent for a stepparent. If that makes any sense whatsoever, which I'm not too sure it does. Hey, you wanna take a walk?"

"Huh?"

"You must've come to talk about something that we probably can't talk about around Haha or my ototo-chan, right? We'll walk out to the park and talk there or on the way or whatever."

"That's a good idea."

The park was definitely more quiet this early than Yugi would've thought. The walk from Yuki's apartment building hadn't been one of the longest treks Yugi had ever gone through (Duelist Kingdom came to mind), but it seemed like forever when the only conversation had been slightly strained small talk. Now here they were, seated on one of the small and relatively clean park benches, and staring at the fading sun in silence.

"Ne, Yugi?"

"Hai?"

"I want to apologize…"

"For what?"

"The way Maharet acted today. She's still not entirely up to par when it comes to basic social skills, I think. I already called Jonouchi and Anzu and apologized to them, too. She really didn't have any right to treat you guys the way she did."

"I think Yami kind of brought it on himself," Yugi said. "He's great, don't get me wrong, but… I wanted to apologize to you and maybe Maharet for his behavior too."

Yuki's reaction started slowly, a hand clamped over her mouth and shaking shoulders growing into muffled giggles and finally erupting in laughter.

"Ano…Yuki?"

"I-it's just so f-funny, isn't it?" she managed to get out through her giggles. "W-we're apologizing t-to each other for their behavior and we're s-so freakin' serious about it…" A fresh gale of laughter started then, one that almost threatened to make her double over with the strength of it.

Yugi couldn't help it. He joined in the laughter with a large smile on his face. "Th-they really are immature sometimes, aren't they?"

"Y-yeah." Yuki swiped at the tears of mirth rolling down her cheeks as her fit of laughter subsided. "Apology accepted, on both counts."

"Likewise for my part. I think Yami's still mad about how Maharet left today. So she heard me?"

"Clear as day."

"So she can see and hear what you do, but you can't do the same when she's in control?"

"Pretty much. Doesn't it work like that for you and Yami?"

"I don't think so…it used to before I really accepted that he was there, but since then we pretty much share and share alike."

"So desu ka? That's pretty cool."

"Do you know why it's like that for you two?"

"She has an idea," Yuki said slowly, reaching down to pluck a particularly long blade of grass. "She said once it was because I'm only maybe a fifth, maybe a quarter of what I was. My…_Yuki's_ soul, I mean."

"I don't think I'm quite getting it…"

"Think of it like…like being in a car. For you…you two…ugh, this always gives me a headache, you guys're either in the driver's seat or the backseat, but whoever's not driving is big enough to look over the seat or over the shoulder to see what's up ahead and whoever's driving is big enough to reach the steering wheel and the pedals. For me and 'Haret, it's like I'm a little kid sitting on someone's lap. My soul is large enough to see and steer if I'm on her lap, figuratively speaking, but I'm not big enough to reach the pedals. She needs to be in the front to do that, so she can see what I see when I'm steering."

"I think I get it. Is there a way to separate you two?"

Yuki tilted her head to one side, regarding Yugi with a cold eye that he had to double check to make sure it was still hazel. "Why would you ask that?"

"Yami wants to know."

"Gotcha. You tell him that 'Haret's not going anywhere unless this body dies. She'd be sucked back from whence she came, not to mention that, like I just said, I'm not enough me to work this body. I'd probably go back into a coma."

"So when did that happen? After…?"

"After my soul was sealed into a lead figurine?"

Yugi winced slightly at the blunt tone, although whether it was her tone or sympathy pain for Ryo he wasn't sure. "Ah ha…so you, um, know about that."

"You bet your ass I know. I know the who, what, when, and where. I'm still unclear on the why, but I don't really care anymore."

"But you let Ryo believe that you didn't really know…?"

"Because he's still a really good friend and I'd like it to stay that way. Whoever…whatever it was that sealed me in that thing, it wasn't the Ryo Bakura that I've known since the beginning of middle school. Almost like the thing with Suzuki-senpai."

"Your brother said something about that, that you three were best friends."

"Which is why I don't get what happened last week with him," Yuki sighed with a troubled look at the fading bruises around her wrist. "The way he talked about Ryo, you'd think he hated him. And what was really weird was that he said he 'tolerated' Ryo until he put me in the coma. That's complete and utter bullshit, if you'll pardon my French. They were just as much friends with each other as I was with both of them. I just…I just don't get it, Yugi."

There was silence for a few moments before Yugi decided to break the silence again after a wary look around to make sure no one was within earshot. "So does she have any idea why Ryo's so sick? I know Yami doesn't think it's natural…"

"He thinks it's some sort of curse that Maharet put on him or her attempt to suck his soul from his body."

"I wasn't exactly going to say that…"

"I know. Don't take this the wrong way, Yugi, but I think you're too nice to be able to say something like that. And no, she's not entirely sure. She said the lines are too twisted around him, almost like something either deliberately ripped them out or tangled them. But she did catch something…"

"What?"

"Ja-aku na kankaku. She thinks it almost felt familiar, but she's not sure…" Yuki's eyes flickered rapidly, the color settling on silver as her face seemed to drain of color and she stared off into space.

"Yuki? Daijobu desu ka?"

"Who are you?" she whispered, her voice carrying Maharet's cool and cultured tones with an undercurrent of irritation and anxiety that almost seemed to rival his own when Pegasus had sealed Yugi's grandfather's soul into a videotape. "How do you know my name?" Her eyes seemed to grow even larger, if that was possible, and he could just about see her jaw clench before she hissed, "You bastard! Fine, I'll play your little game, but if you don't undo whatever it is you've done then so help me…"

"Yuki, Maharet, what's wrong?"

"Damn it all to hell!" the self-proclaimed fallen angel in Yuki's body hiss-roared, slamming an open palm against the wood planks of the bench. "He's toying with me! The fucking bastard is toying with me and with Ryo's life!"

_/Yami, I think you should come out now…/_

_Chichi:_ Term used to refer to one's own father (or father figure) when discussing him with someone outside of the family

_Daijobu desu ka:_ "Are you all right?", "Are you okay?"

_Haha:_ Term used to refer to one's own mother when discussing her with someone outside of the family

_Ja-aku na kankaku:_ "An evil feeling"

_Kaasan:_ Slightly less formal term of address/title for one's mother than the normal "okaasan"

_Nee-chan:_ Very informal term of address/title for one's older sister

_Ototo-chan:_ Little brother, either as a term of address/endearment or reference when discussing him with someone outside of the family

_So desu ka:_ "Is that so?"

_Senpai_ - One's senior at school or work. The term is often converted into a suffix, like "-chan" or "-san"

_/…/_ Yugi to Yami no Yugi

_Author's Notes_

And the plot thickens. It now has the consistency of goulash.

A note about the reference to Maharet being "like a nice Naraku": the way I picture Maharet in my musings and my character notes is as an extremely intelligent, elegant/distinguished being who prefers using her brain to her muscles. Very similar to how I see Naraku, except that Maharet isn't going to make world-domination plans, use that irritating little "Ku ku ku" laugh (and yes, that is _exactly_ how it is in the anime! Drives me up the wall!), or dress in a white baboon pelt any time soon or any time at all. She is, for the most part, a very benign creature with an extremely good grasp of most things intellectual, occult/paranormal, and perceptive. Too bad her social skills still need some polishing.

Thanks to reviewers and I hope all you readers out there are enjoying the show!

As always, reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed but not absolutely necessary.

Arigato gozaimasu, minna!

Holyllama


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own…ah, you know the drill. I don't own Yugi and the gang, I don't own _Demon_, and I don't have a bank account that would make any sort of legal action worth it.

_Warnings:_ Some use of "four letter words", later some scenes of violence and dark occultism. Turn back now if either of these makes you uncomfortable.

**Chapter 7**

"Hey Yugi? What are we doing here?"

Yugi attempted to puff an answer out, giving up after three tries to just gesture almost helplessly to the puzzle and the irate girl stalking up to the doors of the old warehouse. Jonouchi and Honda seemed to vaguely understand, though.

Yuki or Maharet or whichever she was right now had practically burned the rubber off of the bottoms of her sneakers after, well, whatever had happened in the park and Yami had almost practically insisted that they follow. Calling Jonouchi and Honda as back-up had been Yugi's idea, and a darn good one if he said so himself. "You…you told Honda, right Jonouchi?" Jonouchi nodded at that, and Yugi practically heaved a sigh of relief that he wouldn't have to explain absolutely everything for their friend's benefit. "Yuki and I were talking…suddenly Maharet took over. It sounded like she was having a conversation with someone, but I know she didn't have a cell phone on her. She said someone was toying with her and with Ryo's life."

"And do pardon my language, but when I find out who this rotten bastard is I am going to tear him limb from bloody limb," Maharet said before turning her attention back to the darkened corners of the building. "I know you're there. Come out and face me!"

The response wasn't immediate. Rather, it was a soft laugh whispering along a sudden breeze that slowly built into a miniature tornado as the volume of the maniacal laughter increased. "Now now my dear, patience is a virtue."

"Asharu…" Maharet said, a snarl marring Yuki's otherwise pretty features. "I should have known as soon as Ryo began to fall ill. But which visage are you? Dagan, Ellil, or Anshar?"

"I'm hurt, Maharet," the voice within the whirlwind said. "You don't remember your old friend Bahariel?"

"We were never friends, you sadistic ass!"

"Temper temper, my dear. One might almost think that you were picking up a few of your host's less savory speech patterns. And we can't have that, can we."

"In Yuki's words, fuck that!" Yugi could have sworn that he felt his jaw hit the floor of the warehouse at that statement, even as littered as it was with large fragments of glass. But this being of, from what he had seen, grace and poise and intelligence swearing like a sailor?

"No, thank you. You'll do nicely."

"You rotten - !"

"Gentlemen, if you would do the honors?" Yugi just barely noticed the four cowled figures emerging from the shadows before he felt the hard blow to the back of his head and his world faded to black.

When Maharet finally regained consciousness, the first thing she was aware of was a splitting headache. Whether that was from the blow to the head or the strength of the binding wards that practically oozed of dark magic, she wasn't sure. Either way, it was not a pleasant feeling. She lifted a hand to massage her temples and hopefully relieve some of the tension, but stopped the hand as soon as she caught sight of the shifting silvery chimerical aura around it. The one that should only have been there if she'd manifested in her full celestial form. "Oh dear…"

"That doesn't even cover half of it," Yugi…no, Yami said wryly from his position on a nearby wall. When Maharet looked over, she could see three figures there, two bound and one who looked like he was struggling just to sit up: Yami and Honda were bound; Ryo was leaning back against the wall of the warehouse. "Who is this Bahariel, and what does he want with us?"

"Bahariel is a Dagan, a fallen angel whose abilities specialized in causing or curing harm and illness. I'd be willing to bet that he was the one who caused Ryo's illness, though I couldn't say why."

"Because I asked him to." And there was Suzuki, his lanky frame emerging from one of the shadows in the dark corners of the warehouse. "So you're Maharet, are you?"

"And you're Yuki's Suzuki-senpai."

"I am."

"What do you have to do with all this, Suzuki?" Honda said, looking as though he'd love nothing more than to beat the older teen into a pulpy mass.

The response was so simple, so direct, that it almost scared Maharet. Suzuki lifted his shoulders in an almost careless shrug and said, "I made a deal with Bahariel when I summoned him. He'd give me Yuki back and let me get my revenge on Bakura for putting her in that position in the first place. All I had to do was provide him with Faith, serve him, and be a temporary body for him when he wished it."

"You became his thrall."

"If you want to put it that way. He told me how to summon you into that wooden pentagram and how to put you in Yuki's body, you know."

"And that was a very stupid thing for you to have done, Suzuki," Yami almost snickered from his position.

"What do you mean?"

Maharet couldn't help the slight rolling of her eyes at the summoner's naïveté. "The same day that you put me into Yuki's body, her soul was returned to her. Because you had already put me in there, I ended up destroying three-quarters, maybe as much as four-fifths of her soul when I thought she was an intruder. There's not enough of her left to do anything with this body except for the basic functions."

"Y-you're lying…you have to be. Bahariel told me that she'd be as good as new once we drew you back out of her!"

"And you trusted his word, fool that you were. If I am removed, the best case scenario is that Yuki will slip back into her coma. More likely, she will die."

"But he swore to me…"

"He knew what the consequences would be. There's no way he couldn't have known."

"No…"

"Suzuki." A figure cloaked in robe and cowl appeared in the doorway to a section of the warehouse separated by a hasty plywood wall. "The Master wishes your presence. We will begin the rite shortly." The figure bowed slightly when Suzuki nodded and disappeared into the blocked-off section again.

"Suzuki," Yami said, "what 'rite' does he mean?"

Suzuki laughed, a hollow, mirthless sound. "Tonight he will have a new body, one that he can use without fear of wearing it down as quickly as mine does when he possesses me. Haven't you wondered where your other friend is?"

"And what shall be done with the rest of us?" Maharet said, casting a wary look at Suzuki.

"He wishes for you to become his consort. If you will not, he will slay you for the Faith within your soul. The other three are to be blood sacrifices. We wish to save Bakura for last, though…so that he can watch the deaths of his friends and know that it was him that caused them." He turned and stalked into the blocked-off section without another word.

"Oi, Maharet."

"Yes, Honda?"

"We're screwed, aren't we?"

_Senpai_ - One's senior at school or work. The term is often converted into a suffix, like "-chan" or "-san"

_Author's Notes_

Sorry it took a bit longer than usual for the update. Between RL and writer's block (glares at unhelpful little llama-muse sitting atop the monitor), it was hard for me to figure out how I wanted to do this. But I got some good driving time in yesterday to talk out how I wanted to do things. Yes, I talk to myself in the car. I'm weird, but who really wants to be normal?

Thanks to reviewers and I hope all you readers out there are enjoying the show!

And, as always, reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed but not absolutely necessary.

Arigato gozaimasu, minna!

Holyllama


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ or any of the characters therein, nor do I own _Demon: the Fallen_. Those belong to Kazuki Takahashi and White Wolf respectively. I just enjoy making the little characters dance. Watches Suzuki and Bahariel tango past Um, should it disturb me that Bahariel is the one with the rose between his teeth?

_Warning:_ Rated for violence, dark occultism, and language. If any of these offend you or tend to make you uncomfortable, I'd recommend that you stop reading right here.

**Chapter 8**

Akira Suzuki was not an evil individual. He was fairly sure he wasn't, at any rate. Some of the things that he had done as per the pact that bound his service and use of his body to Bahariel hadn't been pretty, true, but that didn't make him some heartless villain. Did it? He shook his head sharply, trying to banish the memory of the conversation he'd just had with the fallen angel and three teens in the other section of the warehouse. But…he could have sworn that he'd seen something in the swirling silver mists around Maharet. The image of his dear Yuki's face looking at him with an accusing sorrow in those chimerical eyes, almost as though she were asking him, "Akira…what have you done?". Well, not that she'd use his given name outside of a private conversation between either the two of them or, in better days, between themselves and Bakura.

There was the other thorn pricking at his conscience. Could he really kill one of his former best friends, both if Maharet was to be believed? "Ano, Bahariel-sama?"

Suzuki felt the demon stir within its reliquary of smoky gray and green glass and couldn't help marveling slightly that so powerful a being resided in so small a thing. The glass was shaped into a stylized puff of wind, no larger than the length of one of Yuki's delicate hands. "Yes, Akira?"

"Eeto…what will happen to Yuki if you draw Maharet from her? If she decides to refuse your generous offer which would be very foolish of her."

"Why do you ask, Akira?"

"I'm just curious."

From what Suzuki could sense, the demon shrugged carelessly. "She'll most likely die when Maharet is removed from her physical form. Having second thoughts?"

"But you promised that Yuki would be all right…"

"Did I? Hm. No matter. You must realize, Akira, that some things are done for the greater good. _My_ greater good, as the case may be. And do keep in mind, in case the thought of betraying me is running through your little mortal brain, that you are now quite expendable. I will no longer be exclusively dependent upon you once the ritual is complete."

"I understand, Bahariel-sama. If I may ask…"

"Yes?"

"Why that one? Jonouchi Katsuya, I believe his name is?"

"Because it pleases me." The way Bahariel said it, as though that answer was a given and should have been understood from the beginning…it was unnerving. Very unnerving.

For not the first time since Yuki's coma, Akira Suzuki began to regret what he was doing.

The tomb robber's head was going to explode if she didn't stop that gods-damned pacing. It was bad enough that his yadonushi was so weak from his sickness that it was hard just to get their body to sit up, bad enough that they'd been kidnapped from the hospital and dumped unceremoniously on the glass-littered floor of an empty warehouse, bad enough that he was lined up like a duck in a shooting gallery next to the annoying pharaoh and the idiot with the buzz cut, but the pacing was the last straw.

"Maharet. Can you get over here to let us loose?" The tomb robber resisted the urge to groan at the pharaoh's sheer idiocy, although it was nice to see that the girl had stopped her pacing long enough to send him a look of pure incredulity.

"Yami," she said slowly, enunciating each word carefully as though she were speaking to a child, "I would not be pacing inside of this seal if I could get out." Maharet placed her hand against what seemed like thin air and visibly pushed with no result. "This is a Seal of Solomon, if I remember my Hermetic lore correctly. It's practically impossible for anything inside to escape unless one or more of the sigils in the circle is erased or otherwise marred."

"So we're screwed." And there was Honda with his brand of brilliant optimism. It was a sad state of affairs when the tomb robber found it hard to muster the energy from his yadonushi's weakened body to think of said yadonushi's acquaintances by anything besides their actual names.

"No, not necessarily," Maharet said. "Ryo. How are you feeling? Could you stand?"

"I feel like a herd of camels ran over me," the tomb robber replied in a near-perfect facsimile of Ryo's voice and speech patterns. It was the same set of vocal cords, after all. "I don't think I'll be able to stand."

"A herd of camels? Man, you've been hanging around Yami too long."

It was hard for the spirit of the Ring to keep from laughing at the cool glare that Maharet fixed on Honda. "Be that as it may. Do you think you'd feel up to…"

"And what might Bakura feel up to?" Suzuki said as he smirked at them from just inside the partition. "Trying to sit upright and fighting the last of that illness at the same time? Bahariel-sama may have been kind enough to end its run through his system before he was taken from the hospital, but Bakura's going to be as weak as a kitten for a while."

"Why do you insist upon this, Suzuki? Standing with a degenerate such as _him_ even though you know what will happen to them…what will happen to Yuki when I refuse. You can't trust him."

"And what? You're saying I should place all of my faith in you, Maharet? If you'd forgotten, you're as much a demon as Bahariel-sama."

"No, she's not," the pharaoh said quietly enough that the tomb robber almost had trouble hearing him. "She may be cold and lacking in basic social graces, but she's not the monster that your master is. Maharet, please accept my apologies for doubting your innocence."

"Apologies accepted, Yami."

"Ugh, you're giving me cavities just listening to this," Suzuki said. "What should we do next, join hands and sing 'Kumbayah' around a campfire?"

"Why, Suzuki? Why do you continue to serve him?" The tomb robber could hear an undercurrent of another voice besides Maharet's in the question, probably Yuki's. Judging by the way that Suzuki shifted uncomfortably, he'd heard it too. "Do you think that he'll continue to care about your welfare or your wishes after this is completed? He's the kind of creature that would discard you on a whim. You'll be expendable once he possesses Jonouchi. Not to mention that he's already lied to you once, twice if he told you that he didn't know that I would attack Yuki's soul when it tried to return."

"He wouldn't harm me."

"Yuki says you're not the same. You're not the person that she enjoyed spending time with in middle school."

"Things change, don't they. It's all Bakura's fault in the first place. If he hadn't…"

"None of this was his fault!" the pharaoh bellowed. "Suzuki, face it. Yes, Yuki's soul was sealed away after something happened at Bakura's home, but that was no excuse for you to summon a demon from the pits of the Abyss!"

"There's still time," Maharet said, silvery images of hope and supplication flashing around her.

"For what?" the lanky teen said. The tomb robber almost thought that he could see a hint of some emotion, be it sadness or sorrow, flashing through the thrall's eyes. "Redemption? I'm too far gone for it."

"Suzuki." One of the cowled men, this one not as tall as the rest and obviously older, beckoned him over with a wizened finger. "The master is ready to begin the rite."

"Suzuki, please!"

"Nothing I can do. It will begin shortly." Suzuki turned his face away from them, seemingly half-watching the other four burlier men move planks away from the partition. The whisper was so low that the tomb robber almost didn't hear it.

"I'm sorry, Yuki…"

_-sama_: Honorific used to address or to refer to someone of a much higher status.

_Eeto_: Basically equivalent to "Um".

_Senpai_ - One's senior at school or work. The term is often converted into a suffix, like "-chan" or "-san"

_Yadonushi_: "Landlord"; If one recalls volumes 6 and 7 of the original _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ manga, this is what the spirit of the Millennium Ring calls Ryo in what passes for a term of endearment.

_Author's Notes:_

So it's a bit shorter, later, and a bit more filler than my other chapters. Serious writer's block and RL, plus the darned llama on top of my computer decided to shut the program down in the middle of this chapter…before silly me had saved the last half. Not to worry, next chapter should be more of the good stuff. By the by, there should be only two chapters left, three at most.

But don't you just start to feel sorry for Suzuki? Really, the road to hell in his case seems to be paved with good intentions. I originally planned on writing him as one of those villains like Gyokumen Koushu and Ni Jianyi from _Gensomaden Saiyuki_ or Naraku, the ones you just can't help hating for whatever reason. That changed the moment I started writing Bahariel. And when you think about it, Suzuki thought he had a genuinely good reason/cause/whatever for putting this chain of events into motion…even if vengeance isn't always noble. Funny how these things tend to write themselves sometimes, isn't it?

Speaking of how I'm writing the characters, I feel it might be prudent to mention that I don't actually really dislike Yami. He's an interesting foil for both Kaiba and Yugi in the series, be it manga or anime. So why did I write him as I have? For all his good points (loyalty, confidence, skill, etc.), he still manages to come off sometimes as an overbearing, almost arrogant individual. (Need I mention the "I'm going to beat Pegasus!" "No, I am!" between Kaiba and Yami at Duelist Kingdom in volume 3 of the _Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist_ manga?) I know, I know, he was a pharaoh in his former life. But to someone like Maharet who was actually _present_ at Creation, his attitude, no matter how guarded or well-meaning he really is, is going to make him come off as being (in her words) "a pompous, puerile, patronizing little ass".

If you're curious, the references to the "Seal of Solomon" and the "Hermetic order/Order of Hermes" are taken from another White Wolf game: _Mage: the Ascension_. I don't remember if the Seal is an actual documented rote or not, but my ST (who absolutely loved Hermetics) made it be that way. No, I'm not a gamer. Really… insert dripping sarcasm ;)

But thanks again to reviewers and I hope all you readers out there are enjoying the show!

And, as always, reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed but not absolutely necessary.

Arigato gozaimasu, minna!

Holyllama


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer:_ I do not now nor have I ever owned _Yu-Gi-Oh!_ (property of Kazuki Takahashi) or _Demon: the Fallen_ (property of White Wolf).

_Warnings:_ This story contains strong language, violence, and references to dark occultism. If you're at all squeamish about any of this, I'd recommend that you stop reading right here.

**Chapter 9**

It was the thrumming chant that woke Jonouchi. A small chorus of male voices rising and falling with the eerie tones of some unfamiliar and probably long-forgotten language that seemed to pulse in time with the throbbing of the lump on the back of his head. He'd never actually admit it, but it made his hair stand on end. Jonouchi tried to lift a hand to rub at the goosebumps on his arms, jerking up as much as he could in surprise when his arm didn't move more than a few centimeters. "What the hell?"

One of the voices paused in the chant, the cloaked figure moving next to Jonouchi. A brief glimpse was enough to alert him to the fact that Suzuki was one of his captors. "Just stay still. It'll be over soon."

"Fucking - ! Where's Honda and Yugi? And Maharet?"

Suzuki straightened and gestured at the dark tableau in front of the stone slab that served as the setting for Jonouchi's bindings and probably some sort of twisted altar. He could see everyone relatively clearly when he turned his head towards the flickering candlelight. There was one of the hooded nutcases on the other side of him, he could hear that much. Suzuki stood near his head, the other four spaced in a wide circle around the warehouse floor.

Then there were the others. Jonouchi didn't even want to guess at what the red substance staining the concrete in a pentagram actually was. He was, however, pretty sure that it was Maharet in the center of the chalk circle that overlaid the pentagram, the _real_ Maharet. She stood as still and cold as any statue, her gaze fixed on something above or behind him. Then he took note of his comrades. Honda and Yugi, no, Yami judging by the way that the blond spikes of his hair seemed to flare upwards, were bound with their hands behind their backs. They were lined up between the pentagram and the altar, Honda on one end and the unbound Ryo on the other, all three looking like they'd love to hurt something. Well, Honda and Yami looked like they'd love to hurt something. Ryo still looked like something the cat dragged in. At least he didn't seem to be as weak as he was when he collapsed. But there was almost a flicker of something not quite right across his eyes…

"My master grants you one last chance, Maharet."

She spat, glaring defiantly back at Suzuki. "Your master is a deluded fool. I would rather spend another ten thousand years in the Abyss than submit to him."

Suzuki seemed to slump slightly. "So you have decided, and so your fate is sealed."

There was the snap of fingers from the other side of the altar and the chant shifted into something even darker. There was the same maniacal laughter that had accompanied their arrival mixing with the shrill scream that tore itself from Maharet's throat and Jonouchi's own yowls of pain as _something_ began trying to shove its way into his body. It almost felt like the last few seconds of his duel with Malik's darker half in the Battle City tournament, that feeling of excruciating pain and the sensation of being torn in two.

Just underneath the screams and the laughter and the chant, there was a scraping sound before a burbling groan and the meaty thud of a body hitting the floor. That wasn't to mention the entirely relieving sensation of that _something_ moving the hell out of Jonouchi's body.

There was silence on all fronts for a split second before the spirit of the Millennium Ring in Ryo's body lifted its head with an expression of affected innocence, or as close as the spirit could get, plastered across its face. "What? The noise was annoying me."

The warehouse had officially entered pandemonium. Chaos, pure and simple. Granted, there weren't that many people present, but the general idea was the same. The other three cultists, despite the old man's exhortations to keep the rite going, had flocked to their friend's side. Not that it would do any good, really. The spirit of the Ring had chucked a decently sized spike of glass with deadly accuracy into the throat of the cultist that had stood at Jonouchi's feet.

Honda guessed that he was probably the only one who had noticed Suzuki's quick movement, a hand flashing out to unbuckle the restraints at Jonouchi's right wrist and ankle as he moved to the small crowd. Hell if Honda knew why, but he wasn't going to be complaining and he doubted Jonouchi was either.

His friend wasted no time in undoing the other two restraints and practically leaping off of the stone slab, ducking under the swipe of the snarling old man who, might he add, seemed to look a lot more sinister than he had earlier. Honda was immensely thankful that Jonouchi crouched behind him first, snatching a nearby sliver of glass and sawing through the ropes at his wrist relatively quickly. "Honda, tell me that this isn't happening."

"Hate to disappoint you, man," he said with a halfhearted grin as he dashed back towards the pentagram. "When you're done with Yami help me with this!"

He figured that Jonouchi must've made some sort of sign of assent and cut through Yami's ropes relatively quickly, because his buddies were flanking him in the next few seconds. "Whaddaya need us to do, Honda?"

"The chalk, correct?" Yami asked quickly, barely waiting for the nod from Honda and a somewhat shaky Maharet before dashing off to the other side of the circle and mimicking Honda's hurried scuffing. "Jonouchi, get Bakura over here."

He couldn't help glancing back at Maharet from the corner of his eye, noting that she definitely seemed ruffled. Then again, he'd probably look like shit as well if he'd been through whatever it was about that second chant that had her screaming at a pitch high enough to shatter crystal. "We'll have you out in a couple seconds."

"Thank you," the less demonic of the two demons said between panting gasps when Honda and Yami had freed up enough space for her to squeeze out of the formerly sealed circle. "But if I may offer one piece of advice?"

"Huh?"

"_Duck!_" Maharet grabbed both Yami and Honda by their collars, yanking their faces down to meet the cement at the same time that Honda swore he could've felt something whiz past a few scant millimeters above his head. It was not, Honda decided, a good feeling. "Get everyone out. I've got his Royal Pain-in-the-Ass."

"You aren't strong enough -" Yami started, swallowing his words when Maharet turned silver eyes to both of theirs in a cold glare.

"I know what I'm doing. Now you two get Jonouchi and Ryo and get going! I'll meet you outside." For a second Honda thought he saw Yuki's cocky grin on the demoness's face, but the illusion was shattered as soon as it had planted itself in his mind when Maharet muttered some archaic phrase under her breath.

Not that he really had any time to contemplate the matter, really. The other three goons were coming at them fast. "Oi, Yami! Grab Ryo and get the hell out. Jonouchi and I'll get you some time." Honda and the blond exchanged toothy grins that probably would have seemed more appropriate on a pair of sharks circling their prey, cracking their knuckles as the three robed goons closed in. "Who wants it first?"

_Author's Notes:_

Wow, that took forever and a freaking _day_ to write! Sorry about that, by the way. It's the combination of RL and a very unhelpful little llama-muse (glares at fake-innocent llama-muse). On the plus side, Chapter 10 should take me less time to churn out than this one did. Oh, and remember that "2 more chapters and that's it" thing I said last chapter? I lied. Now it's probably 2, maybe 3 if my muse continues to be a pain in the rump.

Thanks to readers and reviewers, and as always, reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed but not necessary.

Mata ne, minna!

HolyLlama


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own _Yu-Gi-Oh!_, I do not own _Demon: the Fallen_. Those belong to Kazuki Takahashi and White Wolf respectively.

_Warnings:_ This story contains violence, strong language, and references to dark occultism. If you are at all uncomfortable with _any_ of these, stop reading now!

**Chapter 10**

The instant that Maharet had seen Bahariel take on his demonic visage she'd muttered the ancient words of power that brought her war-staff into existence from the starlight filtering through a broken window. Granted, she didn't hold her chances for survival in high regard. This was a higher ranked demon that she was about to take on after all, one much more suited to war than she. But he was directing his attention towards the boys now, and that was not at all acceptable. So with no preamble, no lengthy speeches as to how Maharet was going to send Bahariel back to hell for the greater good, the slender demoness dashed in and swung her staff as though she were playing a game of baseball. Bahariel's head just happened to resemble the ball.

Even she was surprised when the metal staff clipped hard against the back of his head. The sight of a large chunk of rotting flesh sloughing away from his scalp was something she would have been glad to forget about, however. It was…disgusting, to put it mildly, and that wasn't even the smell. Yuki had seen a show called _Mythbusters_ during their time in the United States, an episode where they'd let two dead pigs sit and stew inside of a sealed car to see if it really was possible to get the "something died and rotted here" smell out of the upholstery. The experimenters had stumbled away from the car after it had been opened after something like two months, gagging at the smell even through gas masks. Maharet would have rather taken a deep whiff of the inside of that car than be standing close enough to inhale the odor of decay and what she thought might have been a touch of gangrene mixed with infection.

At least the blow seemed to get Bahariel's attention, though, seeing as he turned back to Maharet with a wicked smile that tucked the corners of his mouth into open and weeping sores. "You think that will hurt me, little Fiend? And I was so sure that your House was supposed to be intelligent."

"Shut up, Scourge." Her staff swung in again, only to be blocked by a spear that had come from seemingly nowhere.

"Such a naughty girl. You do know where naughty girls go, don't you?" The spear lifted, pushing Maharet back a few steps before it lashed out too quickly for her to block. She bit back a pained hiss, a hand instinctively moving to clasp the deep wound in her left shoulder as it began to bleed. "And you even made me wound this form of yours."

"Don't even try to pretend that you're not getting off on this, Bahariel!"

"You know me too well, my dear."

She swung wildly. "I'm not…your dear…_anything_!" All three missed, earning her nothing more than a dark chuckle and a wound to the side when she left herself open after the last swing of her staff.

_Just a little longer…just until the boys are out of here and safe…_

The tomb robber cursed, loudly and very inventively. He knew he'd expended too much energy in that throw (thank the gods that it had been true, though), but that didn't mean he had to like being tossed over Yami's shoulder like a sack of potatoes as the four boys were making a break for the door. Yami was with him in tow, at least. Jonouchi and Honda were covering their exit with typical brute force. Not that the tomb robber particularly minded, of course, especially when that brute force was aimed at discouraging the three cultists from following.

He could see Maharet's fight with Bahariel from his vantage point, the skirmish having taken to air moments ago. Fucking amazing to watch, not counting in the fact that she was getting her ass kicked. The trick with the clones was pretty nice, though.

There was movement from the back of the warehouse and the tomb robber's eye was immediately drawn to it. His yadonushi's Suzuki-senpai stood just inside a pool of light, hood down and turning a hand-length glass sculpture over in his hands with a contemplative expression.

Bahariel seemed to stiffen, the point of his spear narrowly missing Maharet as he veered up and around to direct his attention to the older teen. "Akira, what do you think you're doing?" The demon's tone was harsher than his "normal" teasing drawl, the tomb robber noticed, and was that an edge of panic in his voice? Then again, was that smoke reeling off his body?

Suzuki looked up at the demons for a long moment. "I think…I think that I'm doing something I should've done a long time ago." Then, despite Bahariel's shrieks of rage and panic, he raised the glass above his head and brought it down hard to crack against the corner of the stone altar.

Bahariel dove for Suzuki, veered off course when Maharet slammed into the decaying demon's side. He flung her back with one motion and a roared word that, while the tomb robber didn't understand it, sent shivers down his spine. The larger demon dove again, catching Suzuki by the collar of his robe too late to prevent him from driving the glass on the rock once more and deepening the crack.

The youth choked and sputtered as Bahariel hauled him up off the ground, probably a good six, seven feet from the floor. "You miserable wretch!" the demon roared. "I have given you power, I have given you _everything_ you could have asked for, and yet you have the gall to betray me? For that, mortal, you shall be punished."

The tomb robber couldn't hear what Suzuki replied to that, couldn't see his lips to read what he said, but whatever it had been was enough to cause the demon's face to twist in a snarl and literally throw Suzuki into a wall.

The glass was in Bahariel's hand, the demon seeming to have forgotten about his fight with Maharet in lieu of its safety. If he'd had the energy, the tomb robber would've smirked from ear to ear at such a sloppy move. Especially when a blur of silver and black suddenly appeared from the window directly behind Bahariel and barreled into him hard enough that he was forced to double over in pain…and drop the glass. It shattered against the cement with an impact much larger than expected, loud enough to be heard over the fistfight and enough to draw the mundane combatants' attention away from their own fight.

Bahariel screamed. Literally screamed. Then there was nothing but a sickening bubbling gurgle, the sucking sound of _something_ piercing and impaling that decaying flesh, and Bahariel dropped to the floor like a sack of bricks with Maharet's staff piercing through his chest.

She managed to glide down to the floor and shift back into Yuki's own form before her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed. Not that the tomb robber could blame her, really, considering that he'd have collapsed with the sheer number of wounds she sported.

Now, to shove his yadonushi's consciousness forward so he could get some entertainment value out of watching him squirm…

_-Senpai:_ Suffix used to address or identify one's superior/older classmate. Also can be spelled "-sempai".

_Yadonushi:_ Landlord

_Author's Notes:_

Probably not the best work I've done, I know. I am not particularly wonderful with anything resembling battle scenes, but it was necessary. If anyone has any _constructive_ criticism regarding this or suggestions as to how to improve that aspect of my writing, please let me know.

I should probably put this in, even though it's not really enough to put in the disclaimers: I don't own _Mythbusters_ either. I have seen that episode, though. I couldn't help it; it was like a train wreck the way that you want to look away but you just can't. Great show, though. If you get a chance, it's on the Discovery Channel if you want to check your local listings for times.

The last chapter should be up fairly soon (I hope!).

As always, reviews and/or constructive criticism are enjoyed but not necessary.

Arigato gozaimasu, minna!

HolyLlama


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own _Yu-Gi-Oh!_, I don't own _Demon: the Fallen_. Those belong to Takahashi-sensei and White Wolf respectively.

_Warnings:_ Rated for language and scattered occult references at this point; all of the other stuff is over and gone.

**Chapter 11**

The first thing that Suzuki was aware of when he opened his eyes was the pain. A blinding, piercing, a-herd-of-elephants-trampled-me-after-a-herd-of-buses-ran-over-me pounding that reverberated through his head and almost every muscle in his body. Not to mention that the light was much too bright and who in their right mind had thought that walls should be decorated with such sickeningly sweet pastel smiley-faced flowers? He'd shoot them himself…if he could even move, that is.

"So Sleeping Beauty finally wakes."

Suzuki's eyes went wide at the sound of that voice, Yuki's with the cold edge that meant Maharet was still in control. "M-Maharet-sama…"

"I think you've scared him, Maharet," Ryo said from the other side of the bed. "How are you feeling, Suzuki-senpai?"

The simple question, one concerned question from one of the two people he'd hurt the most, was enough to send him into a bawling, hiccupping mess. "H-how…? H-how can you two even…even stand to be in the s-same room with me? After what I did?"

Maharet looked torn for a moment, as though Yuki wanted to break through and comfort him while the demon herself wanted to roll her eyes and smack him upside the head. She seemed to settle on rolling her eyes, silently asking Ryo to get up and shut the door, and waiting for the white-haired teen to get back to his chair. "Suzuki, I'm sure I'm going to hear about this for a week once I let it get back to Yuki, but stop feeling so damned sorry for yourself. You're in the same room with a demon and a poor unfortunate who apparently has a psychotic spirit hanging around him."

"Ah, hanging around the Millennium Ring, actually," Ryo added with a somewhat embarrassed look. "He was actually the one who…um…"

"Oh…"

"Yuki knew it wasn't really you, Ryo," Maharet said quietly. "She said as much when we…met."

"Well, we are a fucked-up bunch, aren't we?" Ryo chuckled lightly, not seeming to notice Maharet and Suzuki's looks of shock that sweet, quiet, game-loving Ryo had just used any form of profanity. "Ano, Maharet-sama?"

"Hm?"

"What's going to happen now?"

The demoness sighed heavily and pushed a lock of Yuki's hair from her face, wincing when the motion must have tugged at the wound in her side. "As much as I severely disdain admitting it, I'm not entirely sure. Mortal affairs are settled, at least. The police think we were victims of some sort of cult," she smiled wryly at that, "and as such have relegated our case to the files of simple self-defense."

"Please excuse me, Maharet-sama, but I'm having a hard time seeing you putting a staff through _his_ chest as self-defense."

She glared at Ryo for a moment. "If I hadn't killed him, he would have kept coming for me. He didn't take no for an answer then, and I don't doubt that he would've taken no for an answer now."

Suzuki nodded slightly. "She's right, Bakura-san. He was very…single minded, with no moral sense other than the drive to acquire what he wanted. I-I'm sorry I ever…"

"Suzuki?"

"Y-yes, Maharet-sama?"

"Shut up a moment."

"Y-yes, Maharet-sama."

"As I said, mortal matters are settled as well as the matter concerning _him_. Our

remaining dilemma, however…"

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Maharet-sama?" Ryo said, furrowing his brow with

worry and confusion.

"The matter of Yuki and myself has yet to be resolved. I had entertained the idea of simply removing her…" Apparently, Suzuki noted, the force behind his dark look and Ryo's rabid bunny glare combined was enough to make even a demoness quail. "I assure you, that won't happen," she added hastily. "We had discussed assimilation, but…"

"But?"

"But apparently there's still quite a bit that I don't understand about you mortals. It's a strange feeling, you know. At one time, I fully understood each movement of the stars, the significance of even the smallest dwarf star in the Pattern. But now…"

"Maharet-sama?"

"By all rights, Yuki should be angry with you two. Not just angry, absolutely livid. But she isn't."

Suzuki glanced at Ryo, who was glancing at him, before looking back to Maharet with an eloquent noise that, if printed, would probably read something like "Huwaagh?"

"I keep telling her she's too nice for her own good," Maharet continued, "but all the same, she tells me that she's not angry. She's completely forgiven Ryo."

"What about Suzuki-senpai?"

"She's still somewhat upset with you, Suzuki, but it began to pass when you broke _his_ reliquary and allowed me to send him back to the Abyss. She doesn't fully understand why you summoned him in the first place, but…she's on her way to forgiving you for what you did."

Suzuki was sure that his mouth must have been flapping like a landed fish. "B-but I almost- I mean, I nearly…I summoned that double-crossing morally deficient pile of gangrene, for heaven's sake! My action almost got you and her and Bakura-san killed."

"But it was your action that saved us in the end," Ryo said. "You did what was right because you knew it was right, and I swear that the spirit of the Ring can practically smell guilt and remorse. It will take time, but I think…I think we might be able to renew our friendship. Wouldn't you agree, Suzuki-senpai? Yuki-chan?"

And now Suzuki _knew_ that he looked like a landed fish. "B-Bakura-san, I…"

"He offered to be friends with you, baka," Maharet chuckled. "You're supposed to say 'Sure thing, Ryo!'."

"And Yuki-chan?"

"Is going to go back to be staying in control unless the situation is dire. I'd like to see the world through human eyes for a while longer, I think. Who knows? If redemption is truly possible for mortal man, then just maybe…" The demoness smiled wistfully before closing her silver eyes.

Yuki's hazel eyes opened a moment later. "So?"

"So what, Yuki-chan?"

She rolled her eyes and moved from her chair to the foot of Suzuki's bed on the side where Ryo's chair was placed. "So are we going to try being friends again or what? I want my boys back!"

Suzuki couldn't help grinning at that, the sweeping optimism in Yuki's voice and the answering smile on Ryo's face echoing the thrill of glee at those two little sentences. "I missed you guys."

Yugi stepped back from his spot in front of the open crack between the hospital room's door and frame, a small smile on his face.

_/I guess Satoru's wish came true, ne/_

Yugi to Yami

_Senpai_ - One's senior at school or work. The term is often converted into a suffix, like "-chan" or "-san"

To give credit where credit is due, the phrase "rabid bunny glare" came from reading the _Endless Loop_ series by angelchan. Very good writing, that. Go read it!

_Author's Notes:_

And so it ends. Sniff My first fanfic ever written, completed, and posted (even if it did take quite a while between a few postings). I'd like to thank my reviewers for their reviews and encouragement. Y'all have been great!

Arigato gozaimasu, minna!

Holyllama


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